Contract for London's first electric bus fleet confirmed

British coach-maker Alexander Dennis Limited has been awarded a £19m contract to build 51 fully electric buses for London in a partnership with China’s battery specialist BYD Company.

The buses will form the largest fully-electric, zero-emission fleet in Europe and the first to start operating in London.

The two firms signed a contract with bus operator Go-Ahead London, a contractor of Transport for London, who operates 2,200 buses in the capital.

The new buses, to be delivered by August 2016, will serve on lines 507 and 521 between Waterloo and Victoria.

The move follows an announcement from Transport for London (TfL) earlier this month that it would electrify these central London routes as part of its drive to make all of its single deck buses emission-free by 2020.

The buses will be built on BYD chassis and powered by BYD's electric drivetrain and iron-phospate battery technology. All 51 buses will be bodied by ADL, incorporating their lightweight Enviro200-like midi bus design.

"Technology is at the forefront of everything we do and this unique alliance with BYD represents a quantum leap into the future,” said Colin Robertson, CEO of ADL. “Our combined strengths and, critically, the unified aftermarket support we are putting in place to support Go-Ahead London in the long-term, represents a fundamental of our combined business philosophy.”

Each of the single-deck buses will be able to accommodate 90 passengers.

"Working together with our partners and friends at ADL we can provide a truly optimised blend of expertise,” said Isbrand Ho, Managing Director of BYD Europe. “Our deep experience of not only battery technology but the critical battery management systems and driveline components necessary to deliver unequalled range and reliability are matched to ADL's strong track record in building low weight, attractive and durable buses.”

The buses, operating in the busy part of the UK capital will contribute to the Transport for London’s efforts to reduce toxic traffic emissions from public transportation.